Juraj Bača

Juraj Bača (born March 17, 1977 in Komárno) is a Slovakian flatwater canoer, who won an Olympic bronze medal in K-4 1000 m at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He has also won a total six World Championships gold medals.

His first two senior world titles, in 1998 and 1999, came in the K-2 with partner Michal Riszdorfer. From 2000-2004 Bača was a member of the four-man (K4) Slovakia crew, winning four more World Championship gold medals as well as two European titles.

After the disappointment of Athens where the Slovakian's had hoped for an Olympic gold medal, he left the four-man boat. For the 2005 season, he switched back to the K-2, now in partnership with Riszdorfer's younger brother Richard. They finished fourth in the 500m final at the European Championships in Poznań and then sixth at the World Championships in Zagreb.

After retiring from competition, Bača now works as a kayak coach. In autumn 2006 he appeared on the celebrity TV dance competition "Let's Dance".

Bača was a member of the ŠKP Bratislava club. He is 186 cm (6'1") tall and raced at 86 kg (189 lbs).

World Championships medals

*2003 World Championships - gold medal, K4 500m
*2003 World Championships - gold medal, K4 1000m
*2002 World Championships - gold medal, K4 500m
*2002 World Championships - gold medal, K4 1000m
*2001 World Championships - bronze medal, K4 500m
*1999 World Championships - gold medal, K2 1000m
*1998 World Championships - gold medal, K2 500m

External links